A typical acoustic guitar has a hollow body or sound box connected to a neck. The hollow body has a soundboard with a sound hole, a back or bottom board spaced from the soundboard, and a shaped side wall which connects between the soundboard and back board. Typically, these components are constructed of choice pieces of wood in order to produce instruments of superior quality.
The acoustic guitar has a series of strings strung at substantial tension from a bridge on the soundboard, across the soundboard proximate to a sound hole, and along the neck. The string tension creates forces which act on the soundboard and which, over time, may cause bending, cracking or other damage to the soundboard. The damage can result in structural failure and altered intonation of the acoustic guitar. As such, the guitar, notably the sound box, must be constructed in a relatively strong and stable manner, without making it to heavy or limiting its response.
In high quality acoustic guitars, the soundboard must be capable of sufficient vibration to provide superior acoustic performance while being sufficiently rigid so that it withstands the forces created by the tensioned strings. These requirements are at cross-purposes, and heretofore have been very difficult to achieve, particularly when the soundboard is constructed from a material other than choice wooden materials. The soundboard is in close union with the remaining pieces of the sound box. As such, to achieve the desired high tonal qualities, one must also address these features as well.
Prior art designs have attempted to improve upon the strength and durability of acoustic guitars without adversely affecting its playing qualities. Acoustic guitars are constructed so as to amplify the sound wave produced by the vibration of the strings, via a resonance body having a soundboard. The sound wave created by the vibrating strings is introduced into the resonance body through the bridge provided on the soundboard. Inside the resonance body, the sound wave is resounded and amplified within the resonance body. If the resonance body is not constructed correctly, the sound may be emitted in a muffled or dampened manner.
Prior art designs have also attempted to utilize a number of different types of materials for braces or to form the soundboard or other portions of the sound box. Examples of these prior art devices may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,943,283; 4,353,862; 7,612,271; 5,396,823; 4,942,013; 4,429,608; 4,836,076; 5,333,527; 6,333,454; 7,208,665; 7,678,978; 5,406,874; 5,952,592; 4,969,381; 6,664,452; 2008/0,028,910; 7,268,280; and 7,790,970 the entire contents all of which being incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
Prior art designs have attempted to improve upon the strength and durability of acoustic guitars without adversely affecting its playing qualities. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,958 issued to Dresdner et al, and assigned to the assignee of the present application discloses an acoustic guitar assembly having a wooden soundboard with an improved soundboard bracing structure and an improved neck to body joint.
The present invention provides for a uniformly strong sound box which delivers clean, brilliant sound. The construction of the box provides for easier and more economical manufacture when state of the art equipment is used.
All U.S. patents and applications all other published documents mentioned anywhere in this application are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
Without limiting the scope of the invention in any way, the invention is briefly summarized in some of its aspects below.
The art referred to and/or described above is not intended to constitute an admission that any patent, publication or other information referred to herein is “prior art” with respect to this invention.